The Human Story : Our History, From the Stone Age to Today

Rating:
Summary: Something Smells
Review: I've just read three professional reviews of this book as a means of helping me decide whther I want to read it. I'm pretty sure I do, but all three of the reviews I've read have described some aspect of the book as pungent. So, I can't help but think that the book stinks.
Can anyone tell me what about this book would cause three seperate reviewers to describe it with an olfactory referencing adjective?
Or is "pungent" just the latest in prose-writer chic?

Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly enjoyable
Review: The cover of The Human Story asks, Has there even been a history of the world as readable as this? I cannot answer that. But I can state that reading The Human story was absolutely, completely enjoyable. I was captivated at page one, and did not experience a let down until I reached page 440, the last page of the text.

One might reasonably ask, How can anyone cover world history in 440 pages and do any of it justice? Well, of the sections of history that I was familiar with, I will admit that I got the feeling: My, we certainly covered that quickly. And yet, that is not the impression one has as one reads the book. James C. Davis's brilliance shows in how he skillfully selected and wove together the important details into a fascinating narrative of human history, from pre-historic times to the present. The end result does read like a very entertaining story.

I came away with a much clearer view of the big picture of how humanity has filled the earth. A lot is left out, of course. But what is striking is how much is put in. One reads about China, India, Africa, the great explorers of the world, the great conquerors and adventurers, the world wars, and much more.

If you are looking for a book that gives you a good, refreshing swim in the ocean of the human story, you will not be disappointed by this work.

Rating:
Summary: Focuses on a Eurocentric view, thus loosing context
Review: This work is disappointing at best. It reminds me of a 9th grade level history book, but with an expanded time horizon. It's hard to believe someone with a degree from the University of Pennsylvania could write something like this. It barely mentions any cultural contributions and completely ignores the effects of climate and the key environmental factors in the development of the different civilizations of time. With the exception of China, the author barely touches on any civilizations not relating to northern European peoples...a tough proposition when most of the early foundations of the civilized world were developed in the Middle East. Almost no mention of the Carthaginians, Phoenicians, Persians, Ottomans, etc. Even the Moorish conquest of Spain in the early 700s A.D., arguably one of the dominant influences in today's Spanish culture, is completely ignored. Indeed, this work focuses mainly on European wars and conquests, with a mainly superficial overview of China. Don't waste your time.